Monday, February 15, 2010

The day before Ash Wednesday? Yep, I’m a pancake eater. I grew up in an Episcopalian family and that’s how we rolled—in warm griddlecakes and cold glasses of milk. And even though most of my friends prepare for Lent in a more colorful style, old traditions are hard to shake and I still enjoy a tall stack of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

Pancakes might not be shiny beads, feathered costumes, fevered dancing or boisterous singing, but they don’t have to be completely boring. I’ve been known to serve gingerbread pancakes, buttermilk pancakes, banana nut pancakes and chocolate chip pancakes. But to truly get in the frenzied spirit on the eve of Lent, Uncle Austin’s coconut pancakes (more colorfully known as Uncle Austin's Mexican pancakes) are a definite must.

When I was young, Austin would make these pancakes for us on special occasions. Their main attraction was their size—he’d make one pancake the entire width of a 10-inch pan. And you didn’t even have to share this big baby—no way—this over-sized coconut pancake was all for you!
But incredible heft aside, Austin’s Mexican pancakes were sweet with fresh coconut, and some family members allege that there was chocolate and nuts in them as well.

I asked Austin for his recipe, but he said that not only had he not made these in 30 years, but also that he never really had one. Instead, he just took my grandpa’s basic pancake recipe and dolled it up a bit with the shredded coconut, chunks of brown sugar and extra pats of butter.

Curious why they were known as Mexican pancakes, he admitted that there was nothing authentically Mexican about them, but it was very, very important to be listening to Tejano music, preferably loud, while making them. He stressed, however that the main excitement was in the flipping of the 10-inch pancake—the messier the better!

If you’re celebrating pancake Tuesday, why not try Uncle Austin’s Mexican coconut pancakes—they’re far more adventurous than your usual buttermilk pancakes. And with the Tejano thumping and the pancake batter flying, it may be the most thrilling pancake supper you’ve ever had!

Cook for a few minutes on one side, until edges are brown and bubbles form in batter. Flip and cook on other side a couple more minutes.

Makes about 12 small pancakes or 3 extra-large pancakes.

Note: Chopped pecans and chocolate chips are an excellent addition if you like. Austin recommends serving them with pineapple and I agree. I also top my pancakes with yogurt, but honey or syrup would be dandy as well. And Austin didn’t add limejuice or cinnamon in his original recipe—that was my doing.

these looks wonderful, and to me these make a perfect pancake most any day of the week! i grew up eating pancakes straight from the bisquick box, but now i love making them from scratch and try lots of variations. will be adding this to the list :).

I love pancakes and I love coconut... your recipe is so mouth-watering! In France we celebrate Mardi Gras with zig-zag shaped beignets, but honestly I'm starting to think Mexican pancakes sound even better...

I love your blog - your photos are amazing - the food and stories heartwarming and tasty. So well written .... and you look like you could have lived next door to me in san antonio! thanks so much for all.

I loooove some good buckwheat pancakes with walnuts in the batter and topped with sliced banana and REAL maple syrup, but if someone sets a plate of blueberry pancakes in front of me, I'll still be most appreciative. :)

I had no idea it was pancake day today but oh my these look delicious! I might have to have pancakes for dinnert onight as I have some buttermilk in the fridge that needs to be used. Thanks for the inspiration!

my favorite pancake recipe? yours:) i discovered your recipe a while back and realized it was my favorite. i like a good fluffy pancake that is thick and holds its shape on the pan. no runny batters for me! thanks for always posting the best recipes with the best stories.

I accidentally ate a whole heap of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday without even realising...I had made pancake batter a few days before, and I thinned it to make a few pancakes and crepes. I also ate a few savoury Indian pancakes and another crepe on the same day. Literally every single meal I ate involved some form of pancake...what a happy accident.

Ah, that brings back great memories. A couple of notes on the recipe - Dad used a heaping tablespoon of baking powder, and vegetable oil instead of butter. Very important in my version - chunks of butter in the batter. The lime and zest sound like a delicious addition. Thanks for posting this Lisa!

Yep, we're Episcopalians too, and I feel congenitally entitled to a large stack of Shrove Tuesday pancake supper! With sausage on the side.

The recipe sounds wonderfu1! I'm making a big batch of plain old buttermilk ones for dinner tonight, because we can't make it up to the church - snowed in. I will probably dig out by tomorrow to make it to imposition of ashes.

Just made these pancakes for my family for Saturday breakfast--they were terrific! The coconut was moist and chewy, the lime added a nice kick, and the texture was wonderful--we had them with maple syrup and whipped cream--yum!

Lisa, I was shopping for an on stove non-stick griddle and found a 13" non-stick made by T-Fal(France) at Wal-Mart for $28. It has proved to be indispensable for dosa, pancakes, crepes, reheating bbq slices, grilling squash, etc., due to its larger diameter. Recommended.

Austin would also make sure there was extra grease in the skillet so that the edges would sputter and bubble. He pointed that out as he cooked me a coconut pancake in his Austin efficiency on 25th Street. "That's really important." We would wash them down with Cafe Bustello and yell the name out.

Yum!! We made your grandpa's pancakes and migas last weekend and these this weekend. These were our favorite of the 2 pancakes and we loved the migas. We topped these with fresh pineapple, toasted shredded coconut, pecans, and maple syrup. Next on the list: banana, bacon, pecan pancakes. Thank you for the great recipes!

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